The present invention relates to bearing assemblies and more specifically to a cylindrical roller or needle bearing. The bearing is characterized by novel features of construction and arrangement whereby it is capable of withstanding extreme vibration and thereby it is particularly adapted for use in heavy construction equipment such as steam rollers.
These bearings usually comprise a detachable or removeable bearing ring and guide flanges on the inner and outer rings having confronting spaced apart circumferentially extending surfaces defining a ring gap. The inner and outer rings are supported as a bearing unit between the casing or housing welded to the frame of the steam roller and on the hub of the roller itself by suitable means.
In some prior assemblies, slots for snap rings which extend outwardly are provided in the sleeve or bore surface of the guide flange of a bearing ring, the slots having a depth of nearly the full cross sectional height of the snap ring and a greater width than the latter. These bearings are usually packed with grease and one of the difficulties is to retain the grease by reason of the fact that the bearing assembly is subjected to extreme vibrations, it has been found that grease escapes or is thrown out between the comparatively wide annular slots between the sleeve and the bore surfaces of the guide flange as well as between the snap rings extending to the outside and the circumferential slots. This of course necessitates frequent packing of the bearing and if this is not done the bearing soon deteriorates, fails and requires replacement.
In accordance with another prior known cylindrical roller bearing or needle bearing, a set of lamellar rings and rubber gaskets are joined in tandem in a circumferential slot near the raceway of the inner ring. This assembly is rather expensive to manufacture and somewhat complicated to assemble by reason of the many individual parts. Moreover this bearing arrangement is comparatively wide and yet has only a relatively small bearing strength or capacity.